Hundaol’s Story
Hundaol is a one-year-old from the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Hundaol was born with a cleft lip which, for his family, was an unexpected and deeply distressing experience. Hundaol, has two older brothers who were both born without any congenital birth defects. ‘I did not understand what was happening to my child. I cried every day and felt completely alone’ Hundaol’s mother told us.
Hundaol was unable to suckle, making feeding extremely difficult. As a result, he became severely undernourished and underweight during his first weeks of life. His mother feared for his surival, and due to stigma and lack of information, initially kept him hidden from the community.
‘I was afraid people would judge my baby. I thought I was the only mother facing this.’
A critical turning point came when Hundaol and his mother travelled to their local health centre for routine immunisation when Hundaol was just two months old. A midwife trained by Project Harar identified the condition and immediately enrolled the child for support.
Through this programme, Hundaol received formula and a specialised feeding bottle designed for babies with cleft conditions, along with practical feeding guidance and close follow-up. Hundaol began to gain weight steadily and his overall health improved. By four months of age, he was strong enough to safely undergo cleft lip surgery.
“For the first time, my baby was able to feed without suffering. I felt hope returning. When I saw him after surgery, I believed my son would live.”